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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. MORRELL.

RAILROAD TIB.

No. 365,932. y Patented July 5, 1887.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.`

(No Model.)

R. MORRELL.

RAILROAD TIE..

Patented July 5, 1887.

MWL/755555,

ROBERT MORRELL, OF

SUMMIT, NEIV JERSEY.

RAILROAD=TIE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,932,'dated July 5, 1887.

Application filed Se; tomber 17, 189.6. Serial No. 213,766.

y vented a new and useful Improvementiu Railroad-Ties, of which the following is a speeiftA cation.

My invention consists of improvements in the contrivanee of composite metallic and wood'tes, whereby these or their equivalent substances maybe combined, for the advantages ofthe elastic wood seats for the rails and the strength of' a metallic retainer therefor, in such manner as to enable the metallic portion to be constructed of thin rolled metal in such form as to afford the maximum of strength and the minimum of metal, and so as to be constructed in the simplest and most economical manner, and also so that the elastic wood seats for the rails may be most readily shifted and changed in position without removing the whole tie, particularly in tunnels and on bridges, where the walls and trusses greatly interiore with the changing of ties of full length, all as hereinafter fully described, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a diagram representing the form ofthe blank from which I make themetallic portion ofthe tie. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improved tie. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. it is a transverse section online m, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line yy, Fig. 3. Figs. 6 and 7 are side and plan views7 respectively, showing a modification of the metallic retainer. Fig. 8 is a plan showing re-enforcing retaining devices for the elastic seats and rails. Fig. 9fis a section on a a, Fig. S, and Fig. 10 is a section on b b of same figure.

The metallic portion of myimproved composite tie consists of a thin sheet,a,of rolled metal, first produced in the blank form represented in Fig. 1, about the length of an ordinary tie,

- and about as wide as the bottom and two sides of the same, with four narrow extension flaps or webs, b, projecting from each edge. The

(No model.)

flanges, making a substantial basesupport and retainer, with which I combine two elastic bearers, c, for the rails, consisting of wood or equivalent elastic blocks fitted to slide into the spaces under the top flanges, either from the outer ends or from the middle space be tween the flanges, as most convenient, or as may be required by the position of the tie.` For instance, in tunnels or on bridges the tunnel'walls and the bridge-trusses interfere with the inserting and removal of the blocks at the Vends. In such cases the contrivanee for in serting the blocks from the middle space is an important advantage. The flanged webs b ale grouped near each end of the metallic body, so as to constitute two outside and two inside flanges to each rail f, which rails are seated on the bearer e, in the space between said outside and inside flanges, and the rail-spikes g are driven through notches or holes 7l; of said flanges into the wood, and the beams are also spiked through said flanges at t, if' desired, for further security of the bearers, and of the flanges and the sides of the metallic body as well, which are thus prevented from spreading apart, as they might in case the ties are not well bedded in the earth. The iianges furnish a substantial backing to the railholding spikes and effeetually prevent them from being forced laterally away from the edges of the rail-flanges, to which they are subject in the ordinary ties, the wood being crushed behind against the spikes. The metallic portion of the tie is much more lasting than the ordinary wood tie, and,owing to the thin light material which by my improved construction I am able to use, is, together with the bearing-pieces, not more expensive to begin with. rPhe bearing-pieces are more lasting in the metallic portion than the ordinary wood ties, are laid directly in the earth, and said bearing-pieces ment-,less eXpensively than treating whole ties, and they may be cheaply renewed from time to time. The bottom of the metallic portion may have holes] for the escape of rain from the interior. I propose in some casesV to re enforce these tics with bands 7c', for more firmly holding up the sides to the wood bearers, the

'the spikes by the lateral thrusts of the rails may be made more lasting by chemical treatl IOO bands being driven on from the ends of the ties, or by caps Z, vfitted down over the top,one or both sides of the rails, as in Fig. S, the caps being secured by spiking through the sides into the Wood, in which case the iianges b may be used or not, as preferred. I may also in some cases produce the outwardly-projecting top iiange,m, along the middle portions ofthe sides between the lianges b by retaining those port-ions of the blank, instead of cutting them away, as represented in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and bending said portions outward for greater lateral and vertical rigidity in such cases as may require it. These metallic retaining-shells may be produced in and by any of the Well-known methods of the manufacture of such articlesas, for instance, long sheets may be rolled in about the Width of the extreme breadth at the flanges b. The sheets may be fed intermittingly to cutting-dies adapted to cutout the form of the blanks, and the cutting-machine may transfer the blanks to benders adapted to automatically effect the bending of the sides and lianges,as required. I will use iron, steel, or any approved rolled metal that is capable of being bent-,as required,in the production of the metallic part ofthe tie, and will probably employ wood for the elastic rail-bearing seats; but various substances may be substituted for the woodas compressed or vulcanized fiber, paperstock, and the like, some of which productions may be made much more lasting than plain Wood. I y

Efforts have been made to provide com pos ite ties with cast-iron for the metallic portion; but these are impractical, owing to the extra Weight andl cost of metal necessary to furnish the strength in this brittle material requisite for Withstanding'the shocks and thrusts of service.

What I claim, and desire to secure lby Letters Patent, is-

l. The improved composite tie, comprising a metallic base or retainer and elastic bearingseats for the rails, said metallic base consisting ofa rolled-metal platehaving the sides bentup, and also having the retaining-flanges bent inward over and confining the bearing-seats in their position and the rails thereon, substantially as described.

2. The improved composite tie, comprising a metallic base or retainer and elastic bearingseats for the rails, said metallic base consisting of a rolledmetal plate having the sides bent up, also having the retaining-flanges bent over and confining the bearingseats in their position and the rails thereon7 and also forming back supports to the rail-holding spikes, substantially as described.

3. The improved composite tie, comprising a metallic base or retainer and elastic bearingscats for the rails, said metallic base consisting ofaroiledemetal platehaving the sides bent up and provided with re enforcing caps for retaining the bearings and the rails, said caps being placed over and spiked through the sides of the' retainer to the bearing-seats, substantially as described.

ROBERT MORRELL. Witnesses:

WM. J. MORGAN, S. I-I. MORGAN. 

